if by life or death i can protect you, i will
by Bicksinator
Summary: all the world could rise against us and we'd dare to fight.
Days, weeks, months; the boy didn't know anymore. He'd been trapped in the cell for so long he felt he was starting to forget who he was. No one to talk to, just a small purple snake had come to join him. It was the only soul he couldn't hear. It was as though the snake had no _brain_ , which was impossible considering it was alive. The only thing he could think of was the mind was sealed: and why someone sealed a _snakes_ mind was something he didn't think he'd every understand. He'd been staring into the snakes eye's again, when suddenly the door to his cell was wrenched open. Immediately he shuffled backwards, fear quickly building in his stomach as the voices outside were heard yelling and angry. Not even ten seconds passed before another child was tossed into the cell, his body hitting the floor with a _thud_ before rolling onto their back.

Sadness, fear, and distraught emotions overwhelmed him as the younger boy's brain shouted for help. He could hear faint sniffling, and it brought him back to the first day he'd been thrown in the cell. The fear, the anguish, the wonder even. He slowly edged towards the small boy, who was now curled in on himself as he continued to silently cry. His snake friend slithered up his arm and he maneuvered to his hands and knees, quickly crawling towards the dark haired boy. When he was close enough he reached out, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder - only to be startled when the boy shot up and yelped, also startled by the sudden contact; not knowing that Erik had been there the whole time. He pushed himself backwards, moving frantically until his back hit a wall, where he then pulled his knees into himself, wrapping his arms around them. The tears returned as he dropped his head, pressing his wet eyes into his dirty knees.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Erik spoke quietly, his voice raspy from the lack of water he'd been given over however long he'd been in there, "I'm sorry I startled you,"

He tried moving forwards again, but the small boy only whimpered as he tried to pull into himself even further. So Erik stopped, and instead moved back to sit on the opposite wall, but he continued to stare at the small boy. He could _hear_ the fear and the sadness, and it made his heart clench in his chest. He'd had no one when he'd been thrown in here, but this boy has someone... _I don't want him to be afraid like I was._ Erik frowned, but there was no sense in trying to comfort the other boy right now. He could hear how hard he was praying it was all just a dream, that in a few hours he'd reawaken in his bed, parents _alive_ to tell him good morning like they'd done for so many years already.

There was an ache in both Erik's and the boy's heart as he remembered his parents. "Macbeth," he tried slowly. Macbeth's small head shot up, even more afraid than he was before. How did this other person know his name? "I can hear your thoughts... I'm sorry..." he watched the boy's expression shift, from fear to utter sadness. "I can't imagine watching your parents die, it must be worse than not knowing where they even are," he looked at his snake as he spoke, it's small purple body winding it's way about his hand. The curiosity coming from Macbeth urged him to continue speaking. "I don't know where my parents are, they abandoned me a couple years go," he smiled sadly, gaze still focused on the snake as it continued to weave its way throughout his fingers, as though trying to comfort him.

He continued to talk for a while, about the town he grew up in and how his parents were never that great in the first place. He talked about how when he was older he would get out of this place, and he was going to find himself a new home, and maybe a family one day where he'd be a better father than his ever was. After some time, he noticed the young Macbeth had stopped sniffling, or even crying, and he was staring intently at Erik.

"Sorry, I started rambling," he smiled at Macbeth, but it was a sad smile.

Slowly, Macbeth started to move forwards, until he was sitting in front of Erik. He still hadn't said anything, but Erik could hear him just fine. He reached out, and he ruffled the messy black hair on his head. It was short, and thick, the kind you'd want to keep short to avoid over heating, but it was also soft. "We'll get out of here, one day, I promise that,"

Macbeth then moved to sit beside Erik, pulling his knees back up and then leaning into his side. Erik didn't mind, in fact he was quite pleased. He hadn't felt another person's touch _softly_ in a long time. He also let himself lean into the other, resting his head on the soft, black hair. His snake was now in his other hand, and he was back to watching it as it curled it's way around his wrist. It wasn't long before he heard the small boy beside him begin to snore lightly. It made him smile; finally, there was someone he could talk to again. He felt the boy snuggle closer into him, and he decided then that no one would ever hurt him. He would take the beatings _for_ him if he had to. But there was no way he would let them ruin Macbeth. The child seemed to vulnerable to be able to withstand the torture of The Tower. Erik, had already been through a lot, and his decision to keep his new friend safe seemed to pull him together a little tighter than he was before. As long as he had Macbeth to look after, he wouldn't be giving in to the weight of this place.


End file.
